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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
03-07-2019, 10:46 PM
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Somehow taking a step back in photography reveal the big picture. Mirrorless is a distration. The vast majority of technology companies and their customers end up losing sight of what's important.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 10:02 AM
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I know, Pentax use the same chip on the Pentax K1 II, the AF chip is what we call a PDAF chip. The K1 mk II AF is a bit slower than the A9 AF , but in practice it's almost the same.
I've been lucky for 20 years and 6 cameras :-)
I've rented a Nikon Z6 with the 24-70 f4 for a couple of day: yes it works nicely, I didn't like looking through the viewfinder when moving the camera, it's not nice for the eye, even causing some eye strain if I keep looking thru the evf. On the Z6, the AF single point works well, it is even possible to have AF continuously working but it drains the battery faster, I can do the same with my Pentax K1 by pressing the back AF button in AFC single point mode, doing so the K1 AF will be pre-focused any time before I even press the shutter release button. I have the Pentax K1 mk II now, and I wouldn't buy a Nikon Z6 because it cost also 2K Euros, and the resolution of Z6 images aren't as refined as images from the Pentax K1 mk II. Unfortunately, I don't find the Z6 would give me better images, no matter what is being sold to me, the reality of mirrorless isn't as great as it sounds when reading promotional reviews. IF, I did not already have a Pentax K1 and nor K lenses, then maybe I would buy a Z7 or S1R, but it's not even sure that I would do that, I may simply get a D850 instead because the choice of lenses is a LOT better for DSLR / F mount than it is for any mirrorless model.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 08:55 AM
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I would buy a mirrorless or dslr camera at my next system upgrade, depending on what cameras and lenses are available at the time I'm looking for an upgrade. The reason why I wouldN'T swap a DSLR for a MILC only to get the MILC is because I've tried a Z6 for a couple of days (rental), and while it feels quick, modern and it's working well (except annoying issues with autofocus on subject darker than background), I don't fine it to create any differences on the images I take. On the Z6, the AF points are scattered over a large part of the sensor but I never found useful to focus on a subject in the corner area of the frame. Also, in low light, AF on mirrorless is no better than DSLR, MILC is slower to focus in low light situation vs DSLR. The lens calibration on DSLR has never been an issue for me, on my Pentaxes I had one f1.4 lens with -2 correction and all other lenses have all been fine with factory defaults. IMO, the fast majority of DSLR users don't have issues with factories defaults, cameras are calibrated to specs on bench out of factory and it is when the camera had some mechanical stress (shock) in transport that the AF tuning might be needed. It's a bad mounting from MILC proponents that all DSLR AF must be fine tuned for all lenses, because factory calibration target is 6 sigma Quality level, meaning only a few camera units per hundreds of thousand are out of spec.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 05:35 AM
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Strange, I've use a A7III beside the Pentax K1. I was not impressed at all with the A7III, the XT2 was a lot faster to focus than the A7III, it's real, I've used both camera side by side.
What I find strange is when there is a discrepancy because real use and what I read on internet forums, there are time where I am not sure if the folks online aren't reps from Sony (sincerely..)
My experience of the A7III in dim light (indoors) is it is more sluggish than the Pentax K1... strange. And the A9 has a completely different sensor that allow capturing of 20 frames per seconds for AE and AF, which the A7III sensor can't do. Sony have said the A6400 is the world best AF, but the guys who tested it even mentioned how lousy it is and how much of a lie it is from Sony to claim the 6400 has the world best AF.
Also, technically, two AF system that give respectively 70% keepers and 90% keepers have tacking capability performance very close to each other, because technically the number of keepers vs AF tracking performance follow an S shaped curve, (cf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmoid_function) basically, the difference in tracking capability for 30%, 50%, 60% , 70% , 80% is within plus or minus 20%: the 90% keeper AF tracking is only 20% to 25% better than the AF tracking that gets 30% keepers. In order to have 100% keepers, the AF tracking is significantly better, for sure, but not at 70 to 90% keepers. The AF tracking capability of a Sony A9 or Nikon D500, is multiple times faster (such as 5 to 20 times faster) than that of a A7III or any other general purpose camera.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 04:50 AM
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I fully agree. However, I don't think average AF tracking is enough, IMO an autofocus tracking must be ultra fast (Sony A9, Canon 1D, Nikon D500/D5) otherwise there is not benefit. For me, an autofocus system is able to fully track for near 100% in focus shots, if not I don't care much if it's fast or slow. Except the A9, other mirrorless AF is not as good as fast AF tracking DSLR.
---------- Post added 08-02-19 at 12:56 ----------
Eye AF is nice to have, although it's a very impressive for promotional marketing, in practice professional model photographer use static setups because their want to control the light on the model. Overall, it hurt when I read comments from hobbyists who never have learn the better way of shooting with a professional. In out city, we have an extremly talents model photographer, but he really doesn't care about eye AF or AF tracking, he uses any camera the results are the same because he is extremely competent in lighting, no camera can replace his skills. The problem in photography is as long as you have to rely on camera gear you won't progress.
(I can also promote mirrorless if I want too, everything in life has pros and cons, I can sell you anything, including a mirrorless camera ("mirrorless is new, it's the future, please buy"), it's easy , just pull out all the positives and forget to mention the negatives).
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 04:16 AM
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Yes, for sure. But the question is, what difference does it make for a still photograph to have a fast autofocus or super fast autofocus, saving a quarter of a second in the process of taking the photograph? How useful is that? Does it make a difference on the photographs? Because if it doesn't make a difference on photographs, then who cares if the autofocus is a quarter of a second faster (except the marketing staff who want to entice people to buy the new model)?
---------- Post added 08-02-19 at 12:37 ----------
I've found 70 quotes from famous photographers. 70 Inspirational Quotes for Photographers . There is not a single quote about mirrorless or autofocus speed.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-08-2019, 12:09 AM
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Looks like you are onto selling us something. Have your role been unconsciously transferred from being a customer to being a Sony sales & marketing person? You sound very much like my friend who was setting himself up for negotiating the purchase of a real estate property: he pitched me about how good the property was, no need to say he got badly ripped-off when he signed the largely overpriced contract. It's a bit like being infatuated by promotion.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-07-2019, 11:29 PM
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That's the kind of photograph that soon will be done by a computer without you, simply because this kind of photographs doesn't need any human to do it. Actually, the equipment for automatic tracking of skiers for video recording already exist, no need of people behind the camera. People craving the Sony A9 , definitely not the same aim as people using cameras such as the 645z, GFX50 and larger formats. With the kind of photography sought after with a Sony A9, the technology makes the difference the guy behind the camera makes no difference (you can pick any random person who has no skill and have the Sony A9 get sharp but meaningless images). At the other end of the spectrum, medium format cameras with large sensors, very slow autofocus and slow frame rate take the kind of photographs where the photographer skills and style make a big difference. Once Raymond Depardon of Magnum photo spent months traveling France for a photographic project, he used a large format film camera, and when he was interviewed about why he did not use a digital camera he said "those cameras are for people in hurry".
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-07-2019, 09:41 PM
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Unfortunately, Pentax still not have a mirrorless DSLR, it's sad. Any photographer these days must have no mirror.
---------- Post added 08-02-19 at 05:42 ----------
Fast AF and AF tracking is a must for well composed photographs.
---------- Post added 08-02-19 at 05:44 ----------
For me, anyone asking for fast autofocus fall into the mass photographer type of photographer: not able to compose a photograph.
---------- Post added 08-02-19 at 05:46 ----------
What? NO mirrorlessless? C'mon? I'm afraid the GRIII is a Ricoh, not a Pentax, unfortunately.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-07-2019, 11:11 AM
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You can always remove the mirrorless camera model from the Ricoh lineup to show that Ricoh don't have a mirrorless camera.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-07-2019, 09:11 AM
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Mirrorless will possibly be hurting more the camera sector than doing good. When the mirrorless models of 2018 won't sell so much as expected (too much R&D on too many competing models), it will give another reason for those big companies not to invest further in the development of camera products. Change of lens mount is also a disruption for customers, without bringing real benefit: some customer will upgrade , but it will put off a lot of customers who otherwise would still have enhanced their dslr. Tried to artificially build a need with a new tech that bring no clear benefit is a tricky thing to do, in the past such attempts have failed many times.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-07-2019, 01:27 AM
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Yes, Pentax are going to release the Ricoh GRIII, an enthusiast mirrorless camera with lots of features and dedicated to street photography (Ricoh is brand of cameras designed by Pentax engineers).
Am I the only one who read the post before responding to it? :confused::confused::confused:
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